About Me

I love books. And I love cupcakes. I spend alot of time reading blogs about both. Then I thought to myself, wouldn't it be fun to have it all in one? So here's the plan. Here on my little blog, you're going to find book reviews (mostly YA, because I'm absolutely addicted to them) and once in while I'll show you what I'm cooking up in my little vintage aprons, recipes and all. It's gonna be fun---visit often!! :)

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storiesandsweetiesblog@gmail.com

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I am currently accepting YA books for review, but I am not accepting ebooks.

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In
a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess
magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own
secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she
was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of
her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she
came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and
maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away
from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the
shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and
intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe
means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him.
She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught
up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must
unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her
brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone is a true high fantasy, with a detailed world built from the ground up. There are hints that it is a futuristic society, with mentions of “how things used to be” that sound like the world of today, but the world that this story plays out in is definitely unique. I found it worked both for this story and against it, as it takes a while to really get into the thick of the story and get really immersed in the world, but once it takes hold, it’s really quite fascinating and immensely creative. I loved Kia's determination and her close relationship with her adoptive brother who raised her. She never stops trusting in their bond, and that is what drives the story and her quest to find him after he suddenly disappears. She is never deterred from saving him, and can never be convinced that he is lost to her, even when things look pretty grim. The love interest, Avan even mentions feeling like there may be no room in her heart for anything else. I did like the romance in this one especially with Kai and Avan’s long history together. There is a tiny bit of a love triangle---not sure if we’ll see more of that develop in the future of this series, especially with the way this one ended!

The description of her power to hold the threads of time was also really good and a unique gift to have, especially in a perilous moment! Plus I love how it tied in to the mythology of the tale, a really well-thought out heirarchy of immortals that control death, famine, time, etc. The pace of the story is up and down. It's compelling and exciting as they set off on their journey, but after they get where they are going and make a few interesting discoveries, there is a bit of a long lull. I find this often happens in stories where the hero has to go through some sort of training and then they are just waiting around for the next phase while picking up bits of backstory. It picks up again as they set their plan of attack into motion and barrels into an action-packed, suspenseful, and surprising ending. As a matter of fact, it was just enough of a lift in the last third of the book to convince me to continue with this series! I recommend giving this one a try---it's a solid start for this high fantasy series.

I agree that quite a few of these kinds of stories usually have a bit of lull in the middle of the book. Really glad you enjoyed this overall though. I have been looking forward to reading it, so nice to know that you the last third convinced to continue with the series! Will definitely give this book a go at some point, though I'll be a little more cautious. Thanks for the review! :)

Great review Becky. <3 I'm glad you enjoyed this :D But sorry you didn't fully love it :\ Sigh. I wanted it for a long time. But now I'm not sure I want to read it at all, lol. Have heard of the almost love triangle.. do not approve :( and I peeked at ending.. not happy enough for me. Sigh. Will wait for book two before I decide, hih :) Thank you for sharing. <3

I agree that so much of this was so creative and interesting! Did you like that big bit at the end? I didn't, oddly enough. :) I'm definitely very curious to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Yes, lol, I was so bored the whole time they were in the land that Famine built (I can't remember what it was called LOL) but as soon as they got back to the city, it picked up for me. The very end was a bit confusing but I did like the couple of twists. At least enough to make me curious about book 2. :D

I don't think I've read a high fantasy story yet. I may own some but not even know it since I have yet to read those too. But I'm glad you liked Gates of Thread and Stone, even if there was a few bumps along the way. I may have to read this one myself someday. For now, I'll enjoy reading your reviews ^_^